Chapter 2

I strolled toward Shisui's residence, following the path etched in my memory, treating the walk as a way to settle my stomach. With three meat-filled rice balls tucked away, I felt brimming with energy.

Ever since I successfully refined chakra last night, I had kept the energy inside me circulating through my meridians. If a member of the Hyuga clan were to activate their Byakugan, they would surely see the chakra within this child's body flowing in a constant, specific trajectory.

Passing by the Dango Shop, I saw it had already opened for business. I rubbed my slightly distended belly but ultimately looked away.

Eating dango first thing in the morning was far too greasy; I decided to skip it.

I walked slowly until I reached the end of the street Shisui had mentioned yesterday. Calling it the end of the street was a stretch; it was actually near the edge of the Uchiha Clan's territory, quite a distance from the clan's central crossroads.

Judging by the early hour, Shisui probably wasn't awake yet. I stopped in front of the door without calling out. The homes in the Uchiha clan were uniform in style, each featuring a small courtyard.

Just as I hesitated over whether to knock, sounds suddenly erupted from inside.

"Bang!"

"Clang!"

Sounds like swords clashing?

At five years old, my view was blocked by the wooden gate. While I was still wondering, I raised my hand and knocked—though simply pushing it open wouldn't have been out of the question.

"Who's there?"

A youthful, childish voice rang out. Even though I'd only heard it once, I recognized it immediately.

"Yo, Shisui! It's me, Saitama!"

I straightened my Uchiha clan attire and adjusted my expression as I spoke toward the courtyard.

"!Saitama!"

Before the words had even faded, the gate swung open. Shisui looked at the fellow clan member he'd just met yesterday with pleasant surprise. Once the door opened, I realized Shisui had actually been practicing with a short blade in the yard.

My gaze lingered on the short sword in his left hand until he sheepishly hid it behind his back.

"Training this early?"

"My mother told me to practice the basics of swordsmanship during my morning workout." Shisui glanced back toward the house as he spoke.

Following his gaze, I saw shadows moving inside a room where the lights were on.

"Did I disturb you?"

I gestured toward the house with my chin.

"We're about to have breakfast, just in time for a break." Shisui scratched his head and enthusiastically pulled me into the courtyard. "Want to eat with us?"

Just then, a gentle-looking woman in her twenties walked out of the house, wiping her hands.

"Shisui, do we have a guest?"

She offered me a loving smile.

"Hello, ma'am, I'm Saitama," I greeted her politely.

"Come on in, we're just about to have breakfast."

Faced with such a sensible child, the woman greeted me warmly.

"Then I'll take you up on that." I accepted gladly.

After finishing the rice balls at Shisui's house, I couldn't muster any interest in that kind of food anymore.

Out of politeness, I swallowed the rice ball Shisui's mother had prepared.

Shisui's father was nowhere to be seen at the table. According to Shisui, his father served in the Konoha Police Force and had left for patrol early in the morning.

Once Shisui was satisfied and rubbing his belly, I pulled him outside.

"Ma'am, we're heading out for a stroll."

"Alright, stay safe."

Shisui's mother gave a gentle reminder. She was quite pleased with her son's new playmate—steady in speech and action, he was the kind of child one could feel at ease with.

"Shisui, were you practicing swordsmanship this morning?"

As soon as we stepped out, I asked out of curiosity.

According to my memories from my previous life, Shisui was a master of the Body Flicker Technique, ninja tool throwing, and swordsmanship, and he even possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan, hailed as the strongest genjutsu.

"Yeah, it's training set by my father."

Shisui said, his shyness mixed with pride.

"Impressive."

I praised him casually.

A six-year-old child who could stick to morning sword practice—this level of perseverance was truly rare. I admired him inwardly: no wonder Shisui would go on to achieve such greatness.

Thinking of my own talent, I regained my confidence. With the advantage of having the "strongest talent," surpassing others wouldn't be difficult.

Although we were the same age, Shisui, born in October, was two months older than me. Yet, in our conversation and behavior, I seemed more mature.

"Where are we going?"

As we left the Uchiha territory, Shisui asked. Although the clan area was vast, it lacked recreational spots, so we naturally headed toward the center of the village.

"Just wandering around. I'll treat you to dango at noon."

I replied nonchalantly, my eyes scanning the passing pedestrians.

Konoha was already wide awake; vendors were hawking their wares, and ninjas were shuttling through the streets. Two boys carrying ping-pong rackets walked boldly through the crowd.

"Look, those are Uchiha kids, right?"

"Could that clan crest be fake?"

The whispers of passersby drifted over from time to time. As one of Konoha's premier noble families, the Uchiha clan was always under the spotlight.

The Uchiha clan had always been proud, and the commoners held complex feelings toward them, especially since they were in charge of the Konoha Police Force. This unit was akin to the police stations in my past life; ordinary folks couldn't help but feel a sense of dread.

Even though I wasn't a ninja yet, I could still hear the whispers. I turned my head and saw two women eating at a breakfast shop.

"Keep your voice down!" One of them nudged her companion with her elbow, hurriedly lowering her head to avoid my gaze.

Saitama: "..."

"Saitama, what are you looking at?" Shisui, who hadn't noticed anything, asked curiously.

"Nothing." I suddenly realized that my identity as an Uchiha was like being a monkey kept in a cage for people to gawk at.

I picked up my pace, and Shisui hurried to catch up: "Wait for me!"

Being pointed at by others wasn't my style. The Uchiha name was polarizing in Konoha; this proud clan didn't even have a single ally in the village.

It was the year 44 of the Konoha era; friction between the villages was constant, and war was on the verge of breaking out.

"Saitama, look over there!" Shisui was like a child who had discovered a new world, always eager to share his "major discoveries."

I helplessly followed his finger and immediately stiffened, a bad feeling rising in my heart.

The man was wearing a jonin vest, his long hair draped loosely, and purple eyeshadow extended to the wings of his nose. As he moved his head, his magatama earrings glittered in the sunlight.

This look... was a bit non-mainstream, wasn't it?

Seeming to notice our gaze, the man turned to look. Shisui instantly fell silent, and my hair stood on end.

Why is this kid pointing randomly? Is this someone we can afford to provoke? I cursed Shisui internally.

Orochimaru glanced at the two children not far away and quickly looked away. He probably recognized them as children who knew who he was; he was well aware of his own fame.

I turned stiffly and walked in the opposite direction. I hoped Orochimaru hadn't started his human experiments yet, and I prayed he wouldn't take note of me! That casual glance alone made me feel as cold as if I'd met a natural predator.

Perhaps it was because my impression of Orochimaru from my previous life was too deep? With that thought in mind, I dragged Shisui away quickly.

"Saitama, that uncle just now was so scary! He just glared at me, and my whole body froze." Shisui whispered, clutching his chest, his face still showing lingering fear.

"You don't know who he is? That's one of the legendary Sannin, Lord Orochimaru."

I put my arm around Shisui's shoulder, my tone laced with sarcasm.

"!So it was Lord Orochimaru! My father mentioned him; he said he's a strong contender for the next Hokage! A super powerful ninja!"

Shisui's eyes lit up as he realized who it was.

"That's right, a Hokage candidate."

I tugged at the corner of my mouth.

What an era of shining stars; such top-tier ninjas are emerging one after another!

My thoughts shifted, and I remembered my own panicked state just moments ago.

Strength... in these turbulent times, it's impossible to move an inch without strength!

Even with top-tier talent, I can never slack off!

Looking back, Orochimaru's figure had long since vanished into the bustling streets of Konoha.

"Let's go, Shisui!"

I clenched my fists, filled with fighting spirit.

At noon, I took Shisui to the Konoha BBQ Restaurant to feast.

It was an old place I frequented often; the portions were generous, the price was reasonable, and most importantly, it was quiet, with few idle people around.

After fulfilling my promise to treat him, we parted ways at the clan territory—one lived in the south district of the Uchiha, the other in the north, exactly diagonally opposite.

Before parting, I couldn't help but ask: "By the way, Shisui, could you help me ask your father? I'd like to learn a few sword techniques from you."

Shisui, having just been fed, patted his chest in assurance, but I insisted he ask for permission first. After all, swordsmanship might involve secret clan techniques.

Thinking of how my own cheap parents hadn't left behind any scrolls on swordsmanship, I scratched my head in frustration.

Since I've befriended Shisui, I have to pick up some real skills.

Carrying the BBQ I'd packed for Granny Xiang, I hummed a tune on my way home.

The old lady definitely hadn't eaten yet at this hour; sure enough, as soon as I entered the courtyard, I saw her sitting in a rattan chair, watching the scenery.

"You're back, little Saitama!"

"I brought you some grilled meat, from the usual spot; I made sure they left out the chili."

Saitama shook the oil-paper parcel.

"Oh my, and I just bought fresh salmon this morning, I was planning to make sushi for you." Uchiha Kaori took the meat, her smile deepening into crinkles at the corners of her eyes.

"You eat while it's hot, I'll keep you company in a bit."

Once the old woman had finished her meal in contentment, Saitama tidied up the food containers and turned to head upstairs.

"Grandma, I'm going up."

"Alright!"

After her meal, Uchiha Kaori closed her eyes to rest in her old rattan chair.

On a late August afternoon, the sunlight was lazy and sleepiness always arrived quietly, especially for those of advanced age.

Stepping onto the third floor once more, Saitama sat cross-legged on the tatami mat with practiced ease. It was quiet and deserted here, truly an excellent place for training.

The walk home from the barbecue restaurant had long since dispelled the feeling of fullness in his stomach, and sitting on the floor now caused him no discomfort.

He calmed his mind to perceive the flow of chakra within his body. After spending the better part of the day deliberately guiding it, his total chakra volume had increased, and his internal storage capacity had grown along with it.

It was truly top-tier talent!

Now that he had a preliminary grasp on chakra, the next step was to familiarize himself with hand seals.

With his goal set, Saitama calmly retrieved a scroll from the side.

The scroll contained records of hand seal gestures, along with insights left behind by his cheap parents—such as how to transition smoothly between two seals, or how to cut corners while still ensuring the successful release of a ninjutsu.

He had leafed through this scroll many times, but had held off on practicing.

After all, haste makes waste.

At his young age, his fingers were not yet fully developed, and practicing hand seals too early would only put a strain on his hands.

But now that he was about to enter the Ninja Academy, it was time to get acquainted with them.

He unfolded the scroll, compared its contents against his memory one by one, and then began to attempt them.

One seal per second, two seals per second... he familiarized himself with them, step by step.

Of course, this was only his speed while practicing.

If he were to actually cast a ninjutsu, his speed would inevitably slow down. After all, releasing a ninjutsu was not as simple as just performing seals in sequence.

After practicing for a while longer and confirming that all the hand seal gestures were firmly committed to memory, Saitama stopped his movements, sat cross-legged once more, and continued to refine his chakra.

Chakra was the foundation; he could not let this talent go to waste!

**September, the Ninja Academy opened.

A week had passed since he shared grilled meat with Shisui.

Shisui's father had agreed to Saitama's request, so for the past few mornings, Saitama had gone to Shisui's home to practice swordsmanship together.

Shisui's swordsmanship had deep roots.

His grandfather, Kagami Uchiha, had been a member of the Second Hokage's elite guard, and the swordsmanship passed down from the Second Hokage was none other than the renowned Leaf Style.

Another representative of Leaf Style swordsmanship was Maruboshi Kosuke, the "eternal genin" who stood alongside Might Duy—a living fossil of Konoha who had experienced the vicissitudes of life.

It was clear that if this swordsmanship were cultivated to its peak, its power would be nothing to underestimate.

At the same time, Saitama had not slackened in his refinement of chakra or his practice of hand seals.

His chakra was gradually strengthening, and his technique with hand seals was becoming increasingly proficient.

Although Saitama had not yet formally practiced any ninjutsu, he had scoured the basic scrolls left by his parents, such as the simplest Three Body Technique—the Transformation Technique, the Substitution Technique, and the Clone Technique.